1. Technical Description
The present disclosure is directed to mat protection devices and, more particularly to a mat protection device for protecting a competition mat during periods of non-use.
2. Background of Related Art
Competition mats are used during a variety of sporting events including wrestling, martial arts, and cheerleading to provide a padded surface to reduce impact of a fall to an athlete during a sporting event. Typically, the competition mat is rolled out onto a gymnasium floor or other support surface from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration to provide a padded surface for athletes to compete during the sporting event. In the deployed configuration, a bottom surface of the competition mat rests on top of the support surface while the top surface of the competition mat is positioned to support the sporting event. After the sporting event has ended, the competition mat is rolled up from the deployed configuration to the stowed configuration and moved to a storage location, i.e., to one side of the gymnasium floor, to allow other sporting events, e.g., basketball, to be played on the support surface.
When a competition mat is rolled up from the deployed configuration to the stowed configuration, a bottom surface of the mat that was in contact with the support surface comes into direct contact with the top surface of the mat. When this occurs, dirt and bacteria from the bottom surface of the mat may be transferred to the top surface of the mat causing damage to the top surface of the mat and/or subjecting the athlete to a variety of skin conditions including tinea (ringworm), impetigo, herpes, and methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In addition, in the stowed configuration, it may be difficult to transport the mat to the storage location without dragging and damaging the mat along the support surface.
A continuing need exists in the art for a mat protector that is configured to minimize the transfer of dirt and bacteria from the bottom surface of the mat to the top surface of the mat during stowage of the mat and also for a device to facilitate transport of the mat in the stowed configuration to a storage location.